


As Good As You

by gemzies



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Endings, I apologize for the sads, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Sad, Sad Ending, Walking away, could be seen as Kevin/Sami, i hate myself for writing this, implied pining, kinda kayfabe compliant but kinda not at the same time, post-Wrestlemania 36
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:01:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23519644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gemzies/pseuds/gemzies
Summary: Sami and Kevin talk in the Performance Center parking lot after Wrestlemania 36, and Kevin realizes how much he misses his Sami. But his Sami is gone.
Relationships: Kevin Owens | Kevin Steen & Sami Zayn | El Generico
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	As Good As You

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the video Kevin posted to twitter the morning of Wrestlemania 36, and Sami's cameo in it.
> 
> If you haven't watched that video, I highly recommend you do so.

Kevin was surprised he could even walk. He attempted to stretch again but stopped short as a jolt of pain ran through his side, and let out a low breath as he ran a hand through short damp hair. He knew he should probably go see the medic and get his ribs taped up, possibly his back and shoulder, too, but he didn’t have the energy. As he grabbed his bags and exited the locker room all he could think about was getting home.

He gingerly made his way out to the parking lot and loaded his stuff into his trunk. Then he paused, looking up at the building in front of him, a small smile gracing his lips as he gazed at the Performance Center sign lit up brightly in the late-night darkness. He shook his head before pulling himself out of his thoughts and moving to get into his car. Nothing about this Wrestlemania had been normal, he knew, but there was a sense of satisfaction at the way everything had come full circle. He’d finally gotten his damn ‘Wrestlemania Moment’, in the place his WWE career had begun, the same place where he was told when he signed his first contract that there was a chance he’d never make it out of developmental. And he was proud of that.

As he reached over to pull his seatbelt on, Kevin noticed another car pulling into the parking spot next to his, a little too close to remotely be considered a good parking job. Odd, considering the tapings for that night were almost over, but he shrugged and put the keys in the ignition. As he was about to start the engine so he could finally, blessedly, head home, he heard a light tapping on his window. He looked over to see Sami Zayn waving at him from the car next to his. Sami was sitting in the passenger seat, window rolled down, and had turned the overhead light on so Kevin could see him.

Kevin gave a small laugh and shook his head, but decided to humor him and rolled his window down. “Can I help you?” he said, reaching up to turn on the overhead light himself so Sami could see the smile that accompanied the sarcasm.

Sami smiled, an earnest smile that Kevin hadn’t realized he missed so much until that moment. “Just wanted to congratulate you. Great match tonight, man,” he answered warmly.

Kevin fought off the wistful feeling that filtered through his body at the honesty in Sami’s voice. “Congrats to you, too, Champ.”

Sami blushed. “Thank you,” he replied softly. There was a brief pause, Sami briefly diverting his gaze down to the handle on Kevin’s door. Then he looked up again, biting his lip – a nervous tic Kevin had seen too many times – before he spoke again. “I, uh… can we talk for a second?”

Kevin didn’t say anything. It had been a long time since Sami had approached him like this, since they’d had any sort of real conversation beyond simple pleasantries and basic “How’s life?” stuff. He studied Sami for a moment, noticed how anxious he looked, how he kept running his hand through overgrown red curls, and despite his reservations he gave in and nodded.

He’d expected Sami to relax, at least a little, but the other man only seemed to tense up more. “I wanted to… um… did you mean what you said in that video earlier? About wanting to get away from me?”

There were a lot of things that Sami could have sprung on Kevin that wouldn’t have surprised him, considering how long they’d known each other. But to say that caught him off-guard would be an understatement. “What?” was all the confused response he could muster.

“Like, normally I can tell when you’re joking, when you’re just saying something for the cameras or to get a rise out of me or whatever. But this time… this time I couldn’t.” Sami’s voice was small, unsure, and it sounded almost foreign to Kevin. It had been a long time, he realized, since he’d heard Sami speak honestly like that instead of the forced braggadocio that had been present since his return from injury last April. “Was that how you really feel?” Sami finished, brown eyes pleading with Kevin for an answer.

Kevin took a deep breath, and gave himself a moment to think before answering. Had he really been so transparent? “I would never want to get away from my Sami,” he answered, choosing his words carefully. He swallowed hard before continuing. “But you’re not my Sami anymore.”

Sami looked absolutely stricken. “Kevin,” he said softly, “I’ll always be your Sami.” The words were warm and filled with feelings that made Kevin’s head spin. “Always.”

Kevin shook his head. He wished this was a conversation they were having in private, in one of their houses or an empty locker room or anywhere else for fuck’s sake. But circumstances were what they were. “My Sami was a proud man who was determined to show everyone how good he was. My Sami was a brave, headstrong idiot who would fight even when he knew he’d get his ass handed to him because he believed in what he was fighting for. My Sami was the best goddamn wrestler in the fucking world, someone I mocked and beat the shit out of because I knew I’d never be as good as him,” he poured out, stopping as he tried to choke back the sob bubbling in his lungs. “My Sami has been gone for awhile.”

Sami looked down at his lap. “You know how good you are, Kev,” he replied quietly. “You’re better in the ring than…”

“Je n'aurai jamais le cœur que mon Sami a fait.”

Silence settled between them. Not awkward, but eerily final, and deep inside Kevin desperately prayed it wouldn’t be the last time the two of them spoke. That someday his Sami would come back. But until then… “Goodnight, Sami,” Kevin broke the silence, reaching over towards the ignition.

He could see the wet streaks as they trailed from his eyes down into Sami’s beard, shining in the dim light of the car’s overhead lamp. “Bye, Kev,” he responded quietly, still unable to meet Kevin’s gaze.

Kevin swallowed back his own emotions. “You know, I finally get it,” he said with a laugh before he reached over and started the car.

Sami’s head shot up, looking back over at Kevin with a startled look in his eyes. “Huh? Get what?” he asked.

Kevin sighed. “It took watching you turn into me, for me to finally understand you.”

He nodded at Sami one last time, a sad smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Then he rolled up his window, turned the overhead light off, and put the car in reverse; slowly pulling away from Sami and making his way out of the parking lot.

**Author's Note:**

> French via google translate (please correct me if it's wrong): “Je n'aurai jamais le cœur que mon Sami a fait.” – “I’ll never have the heart that my Sami did.”
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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